LOL, I guess I will be first to pay respects to the loser. Why can't Apple just give away a cash prize?
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Apple Announces Winner of 10 Billion Song Contest
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LOL, I guess I will be first to pay respects to the loser. Why can't Apple just give away a cash prize?
So what was the point of the manual entry? Did it mean anything, was it just a distraction/promotion or is there a chance some of these people will get something other than junk mail? Congratulation
But it is not so fair that not everyone could win... Actually I don't even need to win, but I would love to be able to use iTunes music store, which is not in Czech Republic now...
But it is not so fair that not everyone could win... Actually I don't even need to win, but I would love to be able to use iTunes music store, which is not in Czech Republic now...
The official rules says "No purchase necessary to win", then they choose the 10th B purchaser. What a scam!
It could have been amusing if the winning song was something obscure, like a no-name musician's cover of a TV theme song or some 10-minute electronic piece. I wonder if they secretly reject the winner in favor of the first runner-up who bought something cool.
Or at least make it $10,000 you can spend either in iTunes or at the Apple Store. I can't imagine trying to use up $10,000 in iTunes credit - what a nightmare. It takes me quite a while just to use up a $25 iTunes gift card.
Yeah, along with a bill from the IRS for 3 billion dollars. I guess the 3 thousand dollar tax bill on his "prize" ain't so bad. lol... Right?
They are sour, said the fox about the grapes.
You tax the cash-value of the giftcard. In this case, the case value of the gift is specified by apple to be 1/100 of a dollar (i.e. 1 cent). Yes, he will have to pay taxes... on one cent (or worst case on 100 dollars, if they count it as 1 cent per dollar)
At worst he will pay 14 dollars for a 10,000 dollar gift card. Not too shabby. That is front-page on slickdeals.net for sure
Well if thats true, thats pretty sweet. He'll be extremely happy with that win!
Um....seriously? 10k in iTunes Cash? What would one do with that? I mean...I spent maybe $10 a month on music.
Or at least make it $10,000 you can spend either in iTunes or at the Apple Store. I can't imagine trying to use up $10,000 in iTunes credit - what a nightmare. It takes me quite a while just to use up a $25 iTunes gift card.
Not to even mention that the guy will probably have to spring for an external hard drive himself because, chances are, it will fill up his internal hard drive.
Congrats to the winner... Now you must "Walk the Line" for the IRS
Very slick and very sad.
read the very clever marketing speak
Apple today announced that its iTunes Store has reached the significant milestone of 10 billion songs downloaded, as we noted yesterday. The company also revealed that the winner of its "Countdown to 10 Billion Songs" contest is Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Georgia, who purchased "Guess Things Happen That Way" by Johnny Cash to push Apple to the milestone. Sulcer will receive a $10,000 iTunes gift card.
They didn't say it was the 10 billionth song.... but helped "push" them to the 10 billionth song. So the entries did count. and it wasn't the actual billionth song.
Apple today announced that its iTunes Store has reached the significant milestone of 10 billion songs downloaded, as we noted yesterday. The company also revealed that the winner of its "Countdown to 10 Billion Songs" contest is Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Georgia, who purchased "Guess Things Happen That Way" by Johnny Cash to push Apple to the milestone. Sulcer will receive a $10,000 iTunes gift card.
They didn't say it was the 10 billionth song.... but helped "push" them to the 10 billionth song. So the entries did count. and it wasn't the actual billionth song.
They are sour, said the fox about the grapes.
You tax the cash-value of the giftcard. In this case, the case value of the gift is specified by apple to be 1/100 of a dollar (i.e. 1 cent). Yes, he will have to pay taxes... on one cent (or worst case on 100 dollars, if they count it as 1 cent per dollar)
At worst he will pay 14 dollars for a 10,000 dollar gift card. Not too shabby. That is front-page on slickdeals.net for sure
Unfortunately this scenario is not true. What happens is you get a nice little paper next year around tax time that will says $10,000 income from apple. (wont say those exact words..but you get my drift).
You list that as regular income and there you go.
One thing you can do..is search around and see if you can technically buy that same product ($10,000 itunes gift card) for less less than $10,000. (highly doubtful). Your scenario is the equivalent of saying well i received a check from someone and the paper costs a penny to make, so I list my income as a penny but still get to cash the check. hahaha nice try.
btw slickdeals.net isnt exactly the best place for tax info...
Another option would be to:
Go to ebay and sell it for $8000.
You will end up paying $2500-$3000 in taxes for initial receiving it, but you can get $8,000 from ebay buyer (which you wont be taxed on if you claim you aren't in the business of selling on ebay). The buyer will also save $2000, and not get taxed for the 10,000 gift card.
This method is not common, but this is one way you see $500 -$1000 gift cards on sale for $700-$800. People sometimes win stacks of these gift cards that equal to quite a lot of money. yes yes, i know there are alot of frauds doing it, but there are also legal gift card sales that seem too good to be true on ebay (probably far and few in between). You be shocked at the number of ways to win stacks of random walmart gift cards.
Apple FTW!
They only made forty-some billion last year... good lord... you think they're made of money?
Seriously, they're customer focused insofar as it makes them $$... they make good stuff but here's some proof on what they really think of their customers (nothing more than wallet warmers). A gift card, seriously?... least they could've done was make it an Apple Store credit where they could actually use the $10K... who wants 10,000 songs as a gift and who'd use it and what did that cost Apple, certainly wasn't $10K out of their pocket.
Oh well, at least they make nice stuff.
They only made forty-some billion last year... good lord... you think they're made of money?
Seriously, they're customer focused insofar as it makes them $$... they make good stuff but here's some proof on what they really think of their customers (nothing more than wallet warmers). A gift card, seriously?... least they could've done was make it an Apple Store credit where they could actually use the $10K... who wants 10,000 songs as a gift and who'd use it and what did that cost Apple, certainly wasn't $10K out of their pocket.
Oh well, at least they make nice stuff.
not just songs
The gift card is also good for TV shows, movies, apps and I'm guessing iBooks pretty soon. So it's actually pretty easy to spend $10,000 in the iTunes store.
The gift card is also good for TV shows, movies, apps and I'm guessing iBooks pretty soon. So it's actually pretty easy to spend $10,000 in the iTunes store.
He won a CARD not currency. I imagine that's why Apple stopped giving away ipods and computers but not the card. I seriously think he'll get the card in the mail as a momento, but Apple will simply credit his iTunes account with $10,000.00 and he'll download stuff until the credit is gone.
I don't think he'll get the chance to sell the card. The Account won so the Account will get the credit.
I don't think he'll get the chance to sell the card. The Account won so the Account will get the credit.
You have that right. Considering how much crap that man had to deal with from record producers all his living years, this is sweet justice.
The rules stated that either the first song purchased after the 9,999,999,999th song would win, or the first form submitted after the 9,999,999,999th song, whichever came first.
The timing seemed to be such that the probability of a European winning was marginal, as it was past midnight for most.
I very much approve of the winning song!
The timing seemed to be such that the probability of a European winning was marginal, as it was past midnight for most.
I very much approve of the winning song!